From Bump to Birth: The Delivery

This is an (edited) extract from the ebook “From Bump to Birth” written by Margaret Hanahoe, Assistant Director of Midwifery and Nursing at the National Maternity Hospital and writer Louise Ní Chríodáin.

Your cervix is now completely dilated and the baby’s head has moved from the uterus into the birth canal. The contractions usually slow down, and are spaced at about 4-5 minutes' apart. It’s time to see your baby!

Margaret’s Tips

“When the contractions slow down, I always feel that this is nature’s way of allowing you to have a rest, so that when the time does come, you can put a big effort into pushing the baby out”.

Stand – or squat - and Deliver!

Lying on your back to give birth is a relatively modern development – largely because it is more convenient, and allows easier supervision for the medical professional attending the birth. Consider trying an all-fours or squatting position for birth.

Using an upright position to birth your baby will help work the head down.

If you are not used to squatting, using an all-fours position (on your hands and knees) is often the most effective and most comfortable for western women. In most hospitals, however, you will be asked to give birth on the bed even if you are adopting an all fours or squatting position. This makes it easier for the midwife to control the birth of the baby’s head.

A lot of women find that the pressure of pushing against a semi-rigid birthing ball while on all-fours helps even during delivery.

If you have Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) – severe pelvic pain – going into labour, the way you deliver your baby can affect you after birth. You may find that the "all-fours" position or lying on your side may be the most comfortable birthing positions. You need to try and avoid separating your knees more than 20 cm.

Mums Talk

“I gave birth kneeling, leaning on the top of the bed. It was much easier to push like that.”

“On my 1st labour I was put lying down. I was pushing for 40 minutes, tore, and had to get a lot of stitches. My 2nd labour was in the water bath. I was pushing for less than 10 minutes standing in the bath and had no stitches (and he was a very big boy!). On my 3rd labour I pushed standing in the shower – less than 10 minutes again, and no stitches.”

“I had given birth on all fours on the floor – pushing onto a birthing ball with my belly - which made the pain bearable. To be honest I found the pains delivering the after birth more difficult as I was now lying on the bed.”

“I had my third baby on all-fours, and looking back that is the one thing I would have done differently in the first and second labours…”

This is an (edited) extract from the ebook “From Bump to Birth” written by Margaret Hanahoe, Assistant Director of Midwifery and Nursing at the National Maternity Hospital and writer Louise Ní Chríodáin.